Eli grew up in Locust Grove, Georgia USA and has always been fascinated by animals and wildlife. Being raised in a rural and farming setting taught him to appreciate the natural world and all that it provides.

At an early age, Eli developed a very strong interest in cheetahs, which led him to pursue a degree in wildlife science. Eli attended Unity College and while there applied for an internship with the Cheetah Conservation Fund and was accepted. After his first internship, Eli returned to CCF several times as a student and conducted his senior thesis research there on cheetah scent-post selection. Eli graduated from Unity College as Valedictorian of his class with a Bachelor’s of Science with two majors: Wildlife Biology and Captive Wildlife Care and Education.

After graduation, Eli was hired on to CCF’s full time staff as a Research Technician. Eli runs CCF’s Scat Detection Dog Programme; coordinates and manages CCF Namibia’s social media; produces media content for CCF programmes (photos, posters, video, etc.); works closely with the husbandry team and is one of the primary handlers/caretakers of CCF’s Ambassador Cheetahs; and does a variety of maintenance work in and around CCF’s centre.

View some samples of Eli’s photography below

Cheetahs feeding

Anatolian shepherd (Kangal) dogs. These dogs are used by Namibian farmers to guard their goat herds.